Airlines overcome 'heart-stopping moments'

Mumbai: Things were better at the airport on Friday, with Territorial Army officials again lending a helping hand in refuelling aircraft, but their efforts were not enough to prevent more than 18 flights taking off late by between 30 and 90 minutes.
Mumbai International Pvt Ltd (MIAL) officials breathed a sigh of relief when they heard the strike was being called off and hoped things would go back to normal soon.
Most flights were late by 30-40 minutes but there were some that ran almost one-and-a-half-hours behind schedule. A Mumbai-Ahmedabad SpiceJet flight scheduled to take off at 4.20 pm was, for instance, re-scheduled at 5.50 pm. "We have just learnt that our flight will be late by more than 90 minutes,'' 18-year-old Parth Vedawala, who was travelling with his family, said.
Airlines, too, admitted there were moments when they felt that the paucity of Air Turbine Fuel (ATF) supply was pinching them. But the situation was somehow salvaged as the stocks fortunately were enough for the day.
"Everything ran fine. Flight operations were not halted though the situation was tough,'' a Kingfisher official said. "But there were many heart-stopping moments when we felt that stocks were running out. But we managed fine,'' he added.
10/01/09 Chinmayi Shalya/Times of India

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Categories: Airports Jan 2009, Indian Aviation- In General Jan 2009